Do
you find yourself reaching for unhealthy foods when you’re under stress? Do you
feel you are a “stress eater”? Or maybe you’ve heard this called “emotional
eating”? Turning to food when your stress levels increase is common for many of
us.

The Silent Killer

Stress has been called “the silent killer” for many reasons. It’s a root cause for many men and women struggling with obesity. But left unchecked, elevated cortisol levels (known as the stress hormone) have been linked to many health conditions.

Elevated
cortisol levels have been reported to

Increase
inflammation

Affect
blood pressure

Elevate
bad (LDL) cholesterol

Increase
the risk of heart disease, and

Negatively
affect the quality of sleep.

The
simple fact that our lives are full of stress. If you find yourself eating more
or choosing unhealthy foods when under stress, that can increase calorie
consumption which can lead to gaining weight.

The
extra calories aren’t the only issue. Researchers now say that highly stressed
individuals actually have a harder time utilizing the foods they eat. There was
a study conducted specifically regarding caregivers and how the stress they
endure affects their bodies’ ability to process the foods they eat.

Chronic stress and unhealthy foods

The
University of California’s San Francisco Department of Psychiatry wanted to
find out how chronic stress and eating affect the body. They monitored women
who were caregivers to a parent or partner suffering from memory loss and
measured how their bodies reacted to the increase of more fat and more sugary
foods.

They
compared that test sampling to women who were eating the same foods, but not
under the same stressful long-term conditions. They found that women under extreme
continual stress did not handle unhealthy food as well and it led to larger
waistlines and insulin insensitivity.

This particular study was for women over the age of 50. It revealed that the high-stress group had metabolic changes – the kind that leads to disease, while the lower stressed women did not.

First step: focus on lessening your stress

If you are a man or woman (of any age) who is experiencing chronic stress and notice that you tend to stress-eat, your first step is to get a handle on the stress levels you experience. Do not worry about any excess weight you may have put on at first, because if you cannot lessen your cortisol levels, that weight is going to feel like it’s permanently glued to you.

Focus
first on dealing with the stress you are under. It’s imperative to increase
your self-care. Put yourself first on your priority list.

You’re
not just doing it for yourself and your own health, but for the loved one that
you are caring for. Whether your chronic stress is coming from taking care of
family members, work, relationship issues, or financial struggles, start by
taking some time for DAILY self-care. It is not selfish. It’s a necessity for
your own mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Check
out my
Facebook page for regular self-care tips. Start with something small but
stay focused on taking care of YOU, so you’ll be there for those you love.